The New York Times has reported that the SAT will be taken on computers. American high school students have the right of passage on the SAT since it was first administered over a century ago.
The exams will be done on laptops or tablets issued by the school. The board will give a device to students if they don't have one. The College Board, which administers the tests, said that the digital SAT has been designed to ensure that a student won't lose their time or work if they lose power.
The testing time will be shortened to two hours because of the technical changes. It will feature shorter reading passages with one question for each, reflecting a wider range of topics more representative of what students will see in college. Calculators will be allowed in the math section. Students and teachers will get test scores in days rather than weeks, with educators no longer having to deal with packing, sorting or shipping test materials.
It felt a lot less stressful, and whole lot quicker than I thought it'd be.
According to the College Board, 80% of students found the digital-only tests less stress.
The new testing standard was announced amid a growing trend for schools to stop taking the SAT. According to the FairTest non-profit foundation, around 1,815 schools have eliminated the requirement for standardized test scores.
The Los Angeles Times reported last year that schools that didn't require submission of the SAT last year received more applicants, better academically qualified applicants and a more diverse pool of applicants.
The SAT tests handicap students who don't have access to expensive test preparation courses or who can't afford to take the test multiple times. The digital SAT shift doesn't magically transform it to a more accurate, fair or valid tool for assessing college readiness, according to the NYT. The College Board said that SAT scores can help students who don't have top-flight grade-point averages.
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